View SlideshowRequest to buy this photoKyle Robertson | DISPATCHSeth Towns of Northland is a 6-foot-7 freshman who “is going to bring (college) recruiters from all over the country to Columbus,” said Jerry Watson, longtime director of All-Ohio Basketball.

He’s tall and athletic. He can post up, handle the basketball and shoot from the perimeter. And, by the way, he’s only a freshman.

Seth Towns of Northland is the crown jewel of a talented freshman class in central Ohio that many observers are comparing with one some 20 years ago that produced major-college prospects such as Kenny Gregory and Michael Redd.

“Seth Towns is going to bring recruiters from all over the country to Columbus,” said Jerry Watson, longtime director of All-Ohio Basketball. “He’s not Jared Sullinger yet, but he shows big-time potential. He’s a multidimensional-type player. … He can play all over the floor, he has a high basketball IQ and he plays on a top-notch team that should allow him to flourish.”

One of several area freshmen starting on varsity teams, Towns, who is 6 foot 7, averages 11.7 points and 4.0 rebounds for the balanced Vikings (9-0). He is shooting 66 percent from the field, including 60 percent (9 of 15) from three-point range. Sullinger, who also played at Northland before going to Ohio State, is now with the NBA’s Boston Celtics.

An honor student, Towns is ranked as the No. 2 freshman prospect in Ohio by Prep Spotlight magazine, based in large part on his potential to play small forward or power forward. Northland coach Sean Taylor isn’t concerned about how Towns will handle the pressure of high expectations and major-college coaches in the stands.

“Seth is very mature and bright for his age, and he’s more than capable of dealing with a lot of attention,” Taylor said. “The biggest luxury I have is playing him according to matchups we see. He’s a forward for us, but at 6-7 and having that skill set, we can use him a number of different ways.”

Towns isn’t the only freshman that has longtime observers remembering the 1993-94 season. The freshman class that year included major-college standouts such as Gregory (Kansas), Redd (Ohio State), Doug Davis (Michigan State and Xavier), as well as Estaban Weaver, whose academic problems derailed his college career.

Among the top first-year players this year are guards Kyran McClure of Westerville South, Tyus Ferguson of Groveport, Seth Fuller of Dublin Coffman, and Jalen Tate and D.J. Tyree of Pickerington Central; and forwards Luke Vargo of Coffman, James Manns of Marion-Franklin, Malik Harrison of Walnut Ridge, Houston Smith of Africentric, Nick Ward of Gahanna and Jimmy Ratliff of Hilliard Davidson.

Some of those last names might ring a bell. McClure’s father, Kelly, was a former Westerville South, Otterbein and European pro player. Tate’s father, Jermaine, played for Ohio State and Cincinnati, and his brother, Jae’Sean, is an Ohio State recruit. Ward’s father, Jeff, was a standout at Brookhaven and Tiffin, and Ratliff’s father and namesake played at Ohio State.

“A lot of coaches are reluctant to play freshmen on the varsity,” Watson said, “but most of these kids are either starting or contributing, and if you’re logging minutes at a program like Westerville South, Pickerington Central and Dublin Coffman, that’s a big indicator of how talented these players.”

John Stovall, who assesses talent for Prep Spotlight, said the buzz surrounding this class is unmistakable.

“This is the best singular class of prospects I’ve seen since I moved to Columbus,” he said. “I was here for the Gregory/Redd/Weaver/Davis group, and this group has the potential to be the best, especially based on the depth of the talent pool. Again, I stress that this is all based on potential. These are just ninth-graders.”

The senior class in central Ohio includes five players who have signed with midmajor programs, another who has committed and three other Division II signees. The sophomore and junior classes are considered much stronger.

Several big men are among the highly regarded sophomores, including 6-7 Tony Anderson of Marion-Franklin, 6-6 Mike Simon of Davidson and Doug Taylor of Northland. Shooting guard Jordan Dartis of Newark and small forward JaQuan Harrison of Africentric also are solid prospects.

“This is an exceptional class,” Watson said. “Dartis is the closest thing to a can’t-miss prospect we have within 40 miles of Columbus. He’s already shown that with his high-school team.”

Among the juniors, Jae’Sean Tate heads what Watson called a “solid” class. It also includes forwards Javon Bess of Gahanna and Eric James of Westerville Central; post players Tyrone Johnson of Walnut Ridge and Brandon Manley of Bloom-Carroll; and two Northland standouts: power forward Jalen Tucker and point guard Shemar Waugh.

“Northland has a whole bunch of really promising prospects,” Watson said. “A lot of people haven’t heard of them yet because they’ve been waiting their turn behind older kids. You could see five Division I prospects on the floor at the same time at any given time.”